IAN’S POV.
From my room, I watched Mary and my grandmother get out of the car.
“They must’ve been at Alex’s,” I muttered, stepping away from the window.
For two days, I had been turning over ideas in my head, trying to figure out how to get something on Mary. Something I could use. Nothing solid came to mind, so I finally decided: tap her phone. If she was hiding anything, it had to be in there.
I waited until late that night. When I heard the shower running from her room, I knew this was my chance. Quietly, I slipped into her bedroom and spotted her phone on the bedstand. Perfect.
Moving quickly, I attached the tapping device and started the process. My hands worked fast and it began to load. The percentage climbed steadily. 70%. 80%. 95%. Almost there.
Then her phone rang, disrupting what could have a perfect job.
I froze, glancing at the screen. It was Dominic. “Don’t tell me it’s the same Dominic?” I muttered to myself, “what have they’ve been talking about?” By now, the loading icon has reached 98%.
The sound of water stopped abruptly. My heart jumped into my throat. It was at 99%, the moment it reached 100%, I yanked the device off and set her phone back down, just then, the bathroom door opened and I was very close to her phone.
Mary stepped into the room, her damp hair clinging to her shoulders and a towel wrapped around her. She stopped short when she saw me and adjusted her wrapper.
“What the hell are you doing here, Ian?” Her voice shit up in anger and she eyed me suspiciously.
I forced a casual smile. “We are yet to finish our conversation.”
She crossed her arms. “What, you thought this was a good time to drop in?” She asked. “You should have left when you noticed I was in the restroom ”
She walked towards her phone and grabbed it like a treasure.
“You don’t know how urgent and how important this is for me.” I said leaning against the dresser. “I’m the one who needs so I figured I’d catch you when you couldn’t avoid me.”
Her expression didn’t soften. “You’re not making sense. Remember how our conversation the last time ended?” She pointed out.
“I thought I could do it on my own but I’ve realized my wrong, ask me anything apart from resigning and I will do it.” I said, sounding desperate.
“Let’s make it easy for each other, Ian, so as to save each other time.” Mary said while grabbing a pyjamas and wrapping it around her body.
“What I want is what you can’t give but that is not my fault, it’s your incompetence you should blame.” She spat.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked. “Are you doing this for Evan?”
Her eyes darken for a second and I knew I had touched a nerve. “Isn’t he worth it?” She asked. “Isn’t he a Newman like you and deserve to be place in power? Is it because he is special child? Because if that is the reason, well, I will help him and take the situation into my hands.”
“Isn’t Evan just an excuse for you to satisfy your for power?”
“Wh.. at?” She stuttered.
“This has been your plan all along, it doesn’t matter what I offer or how much I’m sincere, you just won’t stop until you get what you want, right?” I asked her.
Mary’s shock was brief, her face hardened. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Ian.”
I straightened, arms crossed, determined to hold my ground seeing how falter she was. “Don’t I? You’re using Evan as a pawn in whatever game you’re playing. Admit it, Mary. This isn’t about him. It’s about you.”
Her lips tightened, and for a moment, I thought she might lash out. Instead, she have a bitter and humourless laugh. “You’re unbelievable. You, of all people, want to lecture me about power and manipulation? Don’t act like you’re any better. You’ve spent your entire life stepping over people to stay at the top. Saraya is a typical example of your recent bullying.”
I felt my anger flare. “That’s rich coming from someone who’s made a career out of scheming and backstabbing. Don’t pretend you’re doing this for some noble reason.”
Her grip on her pyjamas tightened as she took a step forward. “Speaking about being noble, you don’t get to preach to me about what’s right and wrong when you’ve done nothing but sabotage.”
I chuckled bitterly. “You’re right about one thing-I do sabotage. But at least I don’t pretend it’s for anyone else’s benefit. You want power, Mary? Own it. Just stop pretending it’s for Evan, or anyone but yourself.”
Her face continued to flush with anger. “You’re one to talk about pretending. You’ve spent your whole life acting like you’re the golden child, the untouchable heir. But the truth is, you’re scared. Scared that if you lose your position, you’ll lose everything. And that fear makes you just as desperate as me.”
Her words struck a nerve, but I refused to let her see it. “Maybe I am desperate,” I admitted. “But at least I’m not dragging an innocent kid into this mess. Evan doesn’t need you fighting for him, Mary. He needs a family that isn’t tearing itself apart.”
“Don’t you dare lecture me about family,” she hissed. “You’ve never cared about Evan. You barely even acknowledge him unless it’s convenient. At least I’m trying to do something for him.”
“You’re trying to use him,” I countered. “And when it all blows up in your face, you’ll drag him down with you.”
“You don’t know what it’s like, do you?” she asked softly. “To feel like you’re the only one who is being left out? To know that if you don’t fight, no one else will.”
For a moment, I saw past the armor she wore, past the ruthless ambition, to someone who genuinely believed she was doing the right thing. But that didn’t excuse her actions. “You’re not fixing anything, Mary. You’re making it worse. And when this family finally collapses, it’ll be because of people like you.”
She turned away, her back to me, as if she couldn’t bear to look at me anymore. “You’ve said your piece, now get out, Ian,” she said.
I nodded and left for the door but paused with my hand on the doorframe, unwilling to leave without making one thing clear. Turning back to her, I said, “You know, Mary, I gave you a chance, you’re the one who rejected it over and over again.”
“Just get out and don’t you come see me over this issue again.” She said after me.
I closed the door behind me and stared at my phone. “You pushed me to my dead end, don’t blame me for being merciless.” I muttered and headed back to room.